


Spirit Haze

by vivvav



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/M, The AFR Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2019-03-27 11:04:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13879530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivvav/pseuds/vivvav
Summary: After many years, Ren finds himself back in an interrogation room, being harangued by a red-eyed elder.





	Spirit Haze

The pain was nothing new to Ren.

Every breath made his lungs burn. There were aches all over. His leg, though not broken, had to be fractured at least. He was covered in cuts, bruises, and his own dried up blood, and the simple metal chair he was placed in provided no comfort. He couldn’t even look at his own hands without being reminded of how he was brutalized, his wrists scratched up from the cuffs they slapped on him. And in that dark room, a place where everything was cold, Ren couldn’t help but be drawn to the one thing that wasn’t icy and depressing: A burning pair of angry red eyes trained on him from across the table.

Oh yes, this was nothing new. Ren had been here long ago. He would never forget it. But… that was the thing. Everything was a little fuzzy at the moment, but Ren was sure this was all in the past. And there had been plenty of times when he had revisited this in nightmares, but this felt different. More real than a dream. He was both present of mind and not.

These thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a hand slamming on the table.

“This new ally you gained was Makoto!?”

The words were familiar, but the voice was not. This was not the voice of Sae Niijima. This was a man’s voice. Older. Gruff. Ren took a better look at his interrogator. It was indeed a man, in his mid-40s at the latest. Although one could be forgiven for thinking he was even older. His hair was grey. He had some paunch to him. He had a thick mustache and a police badge, though he wasn’t dressed in standard police uniform. And he had the same red eyes as Sae and Makoto.

Makoto… He mentioned her. There was something important going on with her. Ren remembered that much. But what?

“Answer the question! You made her into a Phantom Thief, right!? You made her break the law!”

“I… uh…Yeah. Wait…” Ren’s thoughts weren’t exactly clear. Was it the drugs? But the drugs had been so long ago, and he hadn’t been drugged again recently, had he? “I mean… no. We weren’t breaking the law.”

“But you WERE wanted by the authorities.”

“Not our fault.” Ren zoned out for a moment. Something was wrong about all of this. “Some of them didn’t understand what we were doing. The others saw us as a threat to their plans. But we didn’t break the law.”

“Makoto was in danger. She could’ve been killed by monsters. She could’ve been arrested by the police! Why did you let her do that!?”

“‘Let her’?” Ren chuckled. It hurt. “Nobody ‘lets’ Makoto do anything. She was investigating us already. She decided to go against the Principal’s orders. She made the choice to have us steal Kaneshiro’s heart. She took it on herself to meet the man face to face, even when we didn’t want her to. I was terrified of that girl, in all honesty. I would’ve been happy if she never talked to me again.”

“For somebody who wanted nothing to do with her…” The man slid a photograph across the table. It was an image of the first time Makoto entered Kaneshiro’s Palace, her still in her student uniform standing next to the Phantom Thieves in their Metaverse outfits. “You were awfully quick to bring her into your world.”

“It couldn’t be helped.” Ren stared at the picture, though his vision was blurry. For a second he even saw double, but that didn’t disturb him. There was something very wrong about all of this. Not just the photo. Cameras didn’t work in the Metaverse unless Futaba used them, but something else was strange about this whole situation. “We needed her. That’s just how things wound up.”

“There were other solutions that did not involve endangering a teenage girl.” The detective crossed his arms. “You could have gone to Makoto’s older sister, the prosecutor.”

“Sae was…” Ren got the feeling he should be careful in his appraisal of the elder Niijima sister while speaking to this man. “Not an optimal choice. She wasn’t in a great place emotionally at the time. Makoto’s biggest worry was doing anything to inconvenience her, and there was no way we could come to her about it without tipping her off to the fact that we were the Phantom Thieves. Everything would have fallen apart.”

“And how do you know that for certain?”

“Why bother talking about it now?” Clarity hit Ren like a freight train. He wasn’t a teenager. He was an adult, with a life and a job and responsibilities. Ren transformed in that moment. The pain went away. He grew a few inches, his messy black hair was combed at best as it could be, his old beat-up school uniform was replaced with a real suit, and all of the injuries from his torture went away. “This was forever ago. The Phantom Thieves have been disbanded for ten years now. We beat Yaldabaoth, saved the world, and moved on with our lives.”

“So what?”

“So I’m done revisiting ancient history.” Ren rose from his chair, heading for the door. “I don’t know what you hope to gain, Detective, but I don’t have to deal with this. I’m about to become a member of the National Diet, and I’ve done nothing warranting an interrogation.”

“I’m not done with you, boy!”

Ren’s head got all fuzzy again. Everything in the room changed. He was younger again, but he was no longer injured. And he wasn’t standing in the interrogation room anymore. Yes, everything was still blurry, but he knew exactly where he was. His nose was filled with the scent of coffee mixed with dust. There was only one place in the world he knew that smelled like this, and it was somewhere he knew very intimately. Sure enough, as Ren’s vision started to clear up, he could see he was in the attic of LeBlanc. And not just the attic, the attic the way it used to look when he lived there. The table with the old CRTV and game console, the couch with the big Phantom Thieves banner hanging overhead, the shelf full of baubles gifted to him by his friends, even the chocolate fountain Ann had bizarrely pushed onto him that one time.

Ren was home. But… this wasn’t home, right? He didn’t sleep on the tiny bed anymore. He didn’t live with Morgana. He lived somewhere else with someone else, didn’t he? He had to leave. He felt like if he could go to his real home, things would start making sense again.

But Ren couldn’t leave. The detective was blocking the stairs.

“Some living space.” The detective glanced around the room curiously.

“Yeah, well, when you’re falsely convicted of a crime, they don’t put you up in the presidential suite of the Wilton” Ren said.

“No, I suppose not.” The detective moved away from the stairs, walking further into the room. Ren immediately dashed to the stairs, but found the room’s exit was blocked by a solid barrier of police tape.

“What in the world…?” Ren stared at the police tape in disbelief. He reached out to tear it down, but it didn’t budge. It was like a steel wall, completely rigid.

“Interesting decorations you’ve got here.” The detective pointed to the “I ♥︎ Tokyo” shirt hanging from the work desk. “That’s kinda touristy, isn’t it?”

“Gift from Futaba” Ren said. “Most of the things in here are gifts from friends.”

“Ah, yes. Futaba Sakura. Your guardian’s daughter.” The detective pointed to the big king piece at the bottom of the shelves. “Who gives somebody a giant shogi piece?”

“Hifumi Togo. Shogi player.”

“I see…” The detective looked at the poster on the wall. “This ‘Risette’… You like idols?” The detective looked Ren up and down. “You don’t seem like the type.”

“Not really…” Ren was confused by this line of questioning. One minute ago, this man was asking him about criminal activities. Now he was shooting the shit about home decor? “It was a gift from my friend Ann. The girl’s pretty enough and it adds a bit of color to the room, so I hung it up.”

“Uh-huh…” The detective crossed his arms. “You sure got a lotta female friends. Must be exciting for a kid your age.”

“‘A kid my age’?” Ren was… Wasn’t he an adult a second ago? He was saying something along those lines just before. It all felt so weird, like reality and time were all jumbled up and making no sense. “What does that mean?”

“Teenage boy, all on his own in the big city, living in a coffee shop, lots of pretty girls around.” The detective smirked. “Your guardian left you alone here, right? Trusted you to lock up? Bet you had plenty of ideas on how to use this space. Give the model or the heiress a call and make the evening memorable, right?”

“What!? No!” Ren’s face turned white. What kind of pervert did this guy think he was? And for that matter, what kind of pervert was here with him in his living space? “What do you think I got up to in here!?”

“I dunno.” The detective looked at the shirt again. “Cute little redhead just down the street. Depends on you for emotional stability. Seems like you could get up to anything you wanted with her.”

“That’s disgusting!”

“Heck, maybe you have a thing for older women. That doctor seems like a dubious character. Or the reporter. Or the teacher-cum-maid.”

“Will you give it a rest!?” Ren stomped his foot. “I didn’t have a different girl in here every night!”

“Right, just Makoto.”

“Exactly!”

The detective glared at Ren.

“That’s not what I meant!”

“Let’s examine that relationship of yours.” The detective approached Ren, looming over him. “You spent a lot of time in the red light district, didn’t you?”

“That was- We were investigating something!”

“You started dating in a bar!”

“It was somewhere safe where we could talk! It’s not like we were drinking or anything!”

“Did you seduce her to keep her on your little team!? Was she more helpful to your operations if she was emotionally invested in the ringleader of your organization!? Or was it just useful having somebody smart around to help you keep your grades up!?”

“You’re insane! If I were just using Makoto, do you think we’d still be together!?” Clarity returned to Ren and he turned into an adult again. “It’s been ten years! We’re not Phantom Thieves or students anymore! We’re in love! It was real then and it was real now!”

“Let’s talk about now, shall we?”

Everything went fuzzy again, but this time, when Ren’s head cleared up, he was still an adult. And he was standing in the middle of the apartment he shared with Makoto. The detective sat down in a recliner next to the couch.

“You can’t sit there” Ren said.

“Why not?”

“That’s Makoto’s special recliner. Only she and her sister are allowed to use it.”

“Well, I guess I know who wears the pants in your relationship.” The detective kicked off his shoes as he reclined back. “Are you sure you’re not just with her because you have nowhere else to go?”

“It’s a matter of respect, you jackass.” Ren was done with this stranger’s bullshit. “Makoto told me how her father used to have a special chair nobody else was allowed to sit in, and because she looked up to him so much she wanted one too. It’s something she does to feel closer to him, so I respect that.”

“Is that so?” The detective chuckled.

“Yeah. So get your sweaty ass out of my fiancée’s chair before I kick it out of there.”

“‘Fiancée’?” The detective snorted. “How’s a pencil neck like YOU supposed to provide for her!?”

“That’s not how our relationship works. We’re partners. Each of us has our own job.”

“Right, right. She’s a brilliant detective, and you’re some glory-chasing leech feeding off of her hard work.”

“I’m about to be elected into the House of Representatives!”

“Do you know that for sure? Polls are often wrong.” The detective sighed. “To think, Makoto may wind up married to a big loser. Fucking politicians...”

“What’s your problem!?”

“You really wanna know?”

“Yes!”

“Alright then.” The detective jumped out of the chair and got in Ren’s face. “My problem is that my daughter is too good for some scrawny, messy-haired, busybody brat from the countryside with delusions of grandeur!”

“Your daughter?” Ren’s head buzzed again, but he fought through it. “You mean, you’re Sadao Niiji-“

“You don’t get to use my first name!” Sadao grabbed Ren’s collar and pulled him closer. “You will address me as ‘Detective Niijima’, because you’re not good enough to marry my Mako-“

“Sadao, that’s enough!”

Ren looked behind him to see a woman with long, light-brown hair and brown eyes standing on the other side of the room with her hands on her hips. His head was still a little fuzzy, so like with Sadao he couldn’t quite place where he’d seen her before, but his first thought was that she looked like a shorter, less-stressed Sae.

“Aw, come on!” Sadao let go of Ren and whined of all things. After the harsh tone he’d had the entire time, it was a drastic shift in personality. “I was just getting to the good part, Yuriko!”

That’s right. Yuriko Niijima. Makoto and Sae’s mother. There was a picture of all four Niijimas right before Yuriko’s death on Makoto’s nightstand. That's where Ren knew her from. And Sadao too, for that matter. He couldn't believe he didn't figure it all out sooner. Ren figured it was the result of whatever that space and time-altering buzzing in his head was, but it was completely gone now.

“I’m sorry, Ren.” Yuriko shook her head and approached the men. “I should have known better than to let Sadao play his little game, but from the day Makoto was born he always joked about wanting to terrorize her first boyfriend, so I just couldn’t say no to him.”

“Uh…” Ren stared at Yuriko dumbfounded. “It’s fine, I guess.”

“Oh, look at you!” Yuriko grabbed the sides of Ren’s face. “So handsome! No wonder Makoto fell for you!” Yuriko looked at her husband excitedly. “Quite the find, isn’t he, Sadao?”

“He called me a jackass” Sadao said.

“You were being a jackass” Ren said.

“Yeah.” Sadao grinned. “This one’s got a good head on his shoulders, Yuriko. He’s no pushover.” Sadao patted Ren’s shoulder. “That’s important when dealing with our girls. They can be forceful.”

“Yeah, well…” Ren sighed. “I still don’t win most of our arguments.”

“Don’t sweat it, son.” Sadao squeezed Ren’s shoulder a little. “Neither do I.”

“We’re just so thrilled that Makoto’s found somebody that makes her happy.” Yuriko wrapped her arms around Ren. “Welcome to the family, dear.”

“You take good care of our little girl, you hear?” Sadao ruffled Ren’s hair.

“She’s not so little anymore, you know.” Ren returned Yuriko’s hug with one arm and fixed his hair with the other. “She’s taller than any of us are.”

“Yeah, well, she still needs someone watching her back. Don’t be afraid to abuse a little of your political power to make her happy.”

“Sadao!” Yuriko released Ren and glared at her husband.

“Kidding! I’m kidding!” Sadao threw his hands up in the air. “Just having a little fun with the boy!”

“You’ve had your fun. And so have I.” Yuriko took Sadao’s hand as a faint buzzing sound started sounding off in the background. “Come now, it’s time for us to go back where we belong.”

“Yeah, I guess it is.” Sadao squeezed his wife’s hand and turned to Ren, gesturing to his eyes with his fingers before pointing them at the younger man. “I got my eye on you, kid! Next time we see you, I only want good things to talk about!”

“Alright, Detective Niijima.”

“Goodbye, dear! And congratulations!” Yuriko waved as she and Sadao started to glow, fading away. “I just know you and Makoto are going to be wonderful together!”

* * *

“Ren? Wake up!”

Ren felt a hand pressed against his chest, shaking him lightly. He opened his eyes to see Makoto hovering over him.

“Hey.” Ren yawned, a huge grin forming on his face. The last thing he remembered was staring at Makoto as he fell asleep. All things considered, he considered himself pretty lucky to get to see her first and last thing every day. “Good morning.”

“You slept through your alarm” Makoto leaned down and kissed Ren on the forehead. “We can’t have that today.”

“Yeah, it’s a big day.” Ren slowly sat up, returning Makoto’s gesture with a kiss on her cheek. “By the time the sun is down, we won’t be single anymore.”

“We haven’t been single for a very long time.”

“You know what I mean.” Ren removed the covers from his body and threw his legs over the side of the bed. “It’s going to be official. We’re going to be Mr. and Mrs. Amamiya-Niijima. It’s a big deal.”

“You’re not nervous, are you?”

“I don’t think so.” Ren rose to his feet. “Then again, maybe this is just the calm before the storm. Maybe I’ll get cold feet at the last second and run away.”

“You could try…” Makoto grabbed Ren’s arm and yanked hard, pulling him back onto the bed. His head landed on her lap. “But I’d hunt you down and arrest you.”

“Well if it’s anything like this, I don’t think I’d mind.”

“Really? You want me to manhandle you in front of everyone we know?”

“Not particularly, but really, how many of them would be surprised?”

“Alright, that’s enough banter.” Makoto slid her legs out from under Ren and got out of bed. “We need to get the day started, after all.”

“Right.” Ren hopped out of bed and headed for the door. “How about you take the first shower while I get breakfast started?”

“Sure, sounds good.”

Makoto’s voice sounded a bit flighty. Ren turned around as he had one foot out the bedroom door and saw her staring at the picture of her family on her nightstand. She had a melancholy look on her face.

“Hey, are you ok?” Ren wrapped his arm around Makoto.

“I’m fine.” Makoto picked up the picture. “I just wish they could have been here for this. I think they really would have liked you.”

“I think you’re right.”

“Oh really?” Makoto looked down at Ren and smirked. “You’ve never met them. What would you know about it?”

“I dunno…” Ren focused on the picture for a moment. He felt like he was forgetting something, but didn’t know what. “I guess it’s just a feeling I have.”

**Author's Note:**

> This story had no right to take two months to finish and yet it did for some reason. Special thanks to Hureno for helping me figure out what to title it because I had no goddamn idea and the working title was "Ghost Dad".


End file.
